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A start in advertising

These problems came much later. My immediate problem after leaving Gorgeous Bras was to get a job. I scoured the evening papers determined to go back to office work. A year on the factory floor had taught me that I had to try to get away from that kind of work.

An advertising agency called Lee and Nightingale advertised a job for a receptionist/telephonist who could help with layout work. I had no idea what it entailed, but I applied for it.

The interviewer, called Mr Hatch, a director of the company, must have had as much of a shock as Mr Deverill had three years before. I was still in my Teddy Girl phase and arrived wearing bobbysocks and a headscarf. He tried to cope by asking sensible questions. Of course, the problem was that I had no sensible answers. “What exam passes do you have, Miss Lewington?”

On dodgy ground here, I thought.

“None”, I said brightly.

“But you must have some education, surely?”

By now there was a note of confusion in his voice.

“No, not really,” I said, and waited, watching the effect of my latest answer.

“Do you have any experience of layout?”

“None.”

“Do you know anything about advertising then?” By now his confusion had reached epic proportions. There was a pause. A long one. And then I began to talk.

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